I have noticed over the past few weeks the huge impact of nature on my life. I know what you may be thinking... Plants create the oxygen that you breathe. Of course nature has a huge impact on your life... Then again, perhaps you weren't thinking of that.
So, I have interacted with natural phenomena multiple times since moving to Deerfield, IL. Campus is full of squirrels, chipmunks, and the occasional raccoon. In addition, there is plenty of grass, trees, and a pond I walk by almost everyday. It's wonderful to be surrounded by natural beauty in the forms of plants and animals!
I tend to be the type of person who only uses the outdoors as a means of taking up space between my front door and my car. I suppose I'm not the only one out there who takes nature for granted. Nonetheless, multiple times I have experienced the joy of observing little outdoor creatures. A chipmunk scurries in front of me as I walk to class... A raccoon climbs up a tree and stares at me as I pass by... The wind causes the rustling sound of leaves to flood the air... These are quite simple events. Yet, they have impacted me greatly.
Perhaps it is the fact that they are simple that I have become so enthralled. After all, I live in a society full of texting, internet browsing, eco-friendly cars, and other forms of complex technologies. Unfortunately, we have become so complex that the simple things are usually overlooked. Why pick up a pen and write a letter to a friend when one can type up a short note and send it over a vast network of towers and wires? It may be easier to shoot an email, but the process of its transmission is quite complicated.
Perhaps I am making a big deal about nothing. Maybe I should view the practicality of complex systems and move on from the simplicity of past traditions and the beauty of nature. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the joy I have found in the simple things in life- a chattering chipmunk, short conversations with friends, the glare of a raccoon, or a simple greeting from a fellow student. I question whether such joy can be attained by playing a video game or sending a faceless email. It's something to ponder.
Nate, I have come to realize the same thing. We never realize how precious some of the simple things are in life until they get drowned out by the complex.
ReplyDeleteSome other areas I have noticed this in are silence and ideas. There are times when I find myself in a moment of silence and I realize that it makes me uncomfortable. I always want to turn on the car radio when I'm by myself. I have come to cherish the silence at moments however. In the area of ideas, I can find myself obsessed with theological complexities, but it is the reflections on the essential truths of the Gospel that prove to be most deeply meaningful.